Quiet Absolution
by FrodoFever
Summary: ONE SHOT Rose's life was haunted by the events of the Titanic disaster. But now towards the end of her life, she is beginning to have peace with herself about everything that has happened. R&R please, thank you.


Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize in this story.

Quiet adj. Peaceful, calm, and undisturbed

Absolution n. The forgiveness of sin

The ship sliced through the water quietly, heading towards New York. Calling last night a rough one was an underestimation. Nothing could compare to the disaster of last night when the HMS Titanic hit an iceberg and sunk. Nobody would ever forget what had happened. Rose certainly wouldn't, or she'd be a fool otherwise.

_Standing at the bow of the ship, Rose was leaning against the railing, thinking about everything that had happened. Nobody should have to bear what happened with the Titanic, nobody should have died, but they did. _

_She wished Jack had lived, that she had insisted that he got onto the board with her so he wouldn't have had to freeze to death. Such a painful death, but she couldn't do anything now. Behind her, Rose could hear the officers going to each and every survivor, gathering names to give to the people in New York to see who lived and who didn't make it. Rose had already given her name. Well, partly. She became a Rose Dawson, somebody nobody would know. That would have been her name when she married Jack, and not to Cal. She shuddered. If he found her before the **Carpathia** she wouldn't know what to do. If only Jack would have lived…_

"_You will go on and have lots of babies. You'll go on and die, safe and warm in your bed. Not here, not now, not like this. Promise me…" Jack had said, one of the last words he had ever said to her. _

Rose turned away, crying. She couldn't take this anymore. She wouldn't be able to go on and maybe she'd die like the rest of them, only from a broken heart.

Rose gasped and woke up. She had many dreams about the Titanic since that year of 1912. It was a fate she resigned herself to, because she knew she would never forget that night, even though she wanted the pain to go away. But it never did and that would follow her until she died.

Looking around the cabin that she was in on this ship that she and her granddaughter shared when Rose came aboard to tell her story, Rose saw her familiar belongings. Her eyes rested on all the pictures that she brought with her. Everything she and Jack said they were going to do once they got off the Titanic, but they wouldn't be able to do together. She had done it all for the memory of Jack, and she had to say that it was a full and happy life. She had children, she watched them grow up, and then watched their children grow up as well.

Sitting up slowly she pulled open the drawer of the end table and carefully lifted out a necklace. But it wasn't just a necklace; it was the most famous necklace second only to the Hope Diamond—the Heart of the Ocean. She thought about what the necklace for. It stood for hope, bitter sweetness, and love. And it held the love she felt in her heart for Jack and now, now the Heart of the Ocean would be put back where its name said, then her heart would be in the ocean, perhaps for all eternity.

Slowly getting up, Rose walked out of her cabin room, clutching the necklace to her chest. It really was a dreadful heavy thing. But it had to be, for all the things it held for her. Going to the next, Rose pointed herself towards the stern of the ship. The stern held special memories, no matter which ship she was on, because that's where she had met Jack, and where he had saved her life, not for the last time. He had given her life back to her and that was something not every man could do.

Finally, Rose reached the stern. Had she been younger, Rose would've have gotten there a whole lot faster. But being 100 years old was a whole different ball game. But that was all right, she couldn't have been happier.

Grasping the railing, Rose put a timid foot up onto the lower railing and pulled herself up. Opening her hand, she looked at the diamond; Rose smiled to herself—one of those knowing smiles that held all of the secrets of the world. Maybe one day somebody would find it and wonder where it had come from and why would someone toss it away so precious to humans that it was unimaginable. Yes, it was priceless, and yes it was precious, but not in monetary value, for it held the secrets of a woman's heart that had lived a full and glorious life that every human hopes for. Maybe that's why it was called 'The Heart of the Ocean', because the ocean knew what life was about.

"Oh," Rose said and lightly tossed the diamond into the water, watching it sink and then disappearing into the depths of the ocean. It was done, and Rose's heart felt lighter, as if it was carrying around a heavy burden. She smiled before finally getting down and slowly going back to her warm, comfortable bed. She always enjoyed comfort.

Getting back into bed, Rose closed her eyes and fell asleep. The bed was so warm and comfortable…

The Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams, and it was, it really was. Instead of a rotting hull like she had just seen earlier in the day, it was new like it was it was first built. And Rose, also was in her prime years before the wrinkles set in and she needed assistance to get everywhere.

Walking down the deck, Rose finally found the door to the Grand Staircase. She opened it and to her surprise, everybody who had ever died on the ship was there. They were all smiling grandly at her and had made an aisle for her to walk down to the Grand Staircase.

Holding her pure, white, crimson dress Rose slowly walked to the foot of the staircase and looked up. She gasped when she saw Jack looking up at the clock. He turned around and smiled at her and held out his hand to her. Rose smiled and walked up the steps and when she got closer, she grasped his hand and he pulled her up the last step. The two smiled lovingly at each other and kissed in a loving embrace while everybody clapped and cheered.

Pulling away, the two of them looked into each other's eyes for a long time.

"I was hoping you would come. I've missed you," Jack exclaimed.

Rose gave a small smile. "I've missed you, too, Jack. I've kept your promise, safe in me, and we'll go on together. You would be proud of my life and everything I did."

Jack just smiled. "I am glad." Then he picked her up and swept her away down the staircase, out the door and towards the nearest room. Rose could never be happier. This was truly her reward for everything she had done, and the same for Jack. If this was heaven, then Rose was in the right place.

She had died in the night. Rose's granddaughter had found her, comfortable in bed just as a young man long ago had said. Everybody on deck gave her condolences and said they were sorry about her loss of a wonderful woman. Yes, she was sad, but she was also happy. Her grandmother had lived the fullest life anybody could ask for and she died and left for a better place, to live the next stage—life after death. If there was a heaven, her grandmother was there.

"Rose," a man said from behind her. She turned around to face the man who had spoken. It was the main man who had wanted to hear her grandmother's story.

Rose smiled up at him. "Don't feel sorry for me. I am sad, and I want to cry, but I know she's somewhere better. She's lived a full life."

"You could say that again. Look at all these pictures. She's done a lot," he said.

Rose smiled. "Of course. When I was little, we would do everything. Horseback riding, roller coasters, everything."

"I wonder why she never felt angry about everything that had happened with her and Cal, and the sinking of the Titanic—she lost the man of her life," he said.

"I don't think she was because…" Rose picked her words carefully, "because Jack showed her how to live, how to be free. Cal also showed her how to be free, to go against society every once and a while. She made a quiet absolution."

The man looked confused, but the young Rose didn't want to explain. Like her Grandmother Rose, she wanted to keep secrets deep in her heart until she felt ready to tell them. All she did was look up at him and smiled.

"Shall we go and eat our last lunch together? I will be leaving soon," she said.

"Of course," he smiled, offering his arm.

She took it and the too of them walked together, saying nothing. The afternoon was too perfect for talking.

Several days before she had died, Rose had asked Mr. Lovett if he had found the Heart of the Ocean yet. He had said he was listening, but now he knew she was asking it at a much deeper, spiritual level. The Heart of the Ocean was not a diamond, but forgiveness and true love.

And even forgiveness didn't have to be spoken, as long as you knew it in your heart. A quiet absolution was bittersweet, but one of the simple truths of life. And maybe that was the moral of Rose's story. The sweetness of a bittersweet quiet absolution.


End file.
